Operational Problems Solved. Foodservice Projects Built to Perform.
David Arnold Culinary Consultants works with restaurants, catering companies, central kitchens, food manufacturers, hospitality groups, and institutional foodservice operations to improve performance, strengthen systems, control costs, train teams, and develop projects from concept through launch.
Operational Turnarounds
Diagnose performance problems, restore operating discipline, tighten controls, and return troubled foodservice operations to stable, profitable execution
Food Safety & Compliance
Build practical HACCP, food-safety, quality-control, and compliance systems that work on the floor—not only in a manual.
Training & Operational Systems
Build SOPs, training programs, inspection systems, accountability tools, and operating standards that teams can consistently execute.
Concept Development
Develop foodservice concepts from idea through opening, including menus, kitchen systems, staffing, procurement, training, and operating standards.
Menu & Product Development
Develop menus and products with disciplined costing, production standards, practical execution, and market positioning.
Project Development & Openings
Guide kitchen build-outs, new openings, expansions, and complex foodservice projects from planning and equipment through commissioning and launch.
Fractional Foodservice Advisory
Fractional Foodservice Advisory provides experienced operational leadership without the cost or commitment of a full-time executive hire. Engagements can be structured hourly, by the day, weekly, or monthly depending on the level of support required.
The engagement can include operational review, cost control, management systems, food safety, menu and product development, training, project oversight, or regular executive guidance. It is especially useful when an operation needs structure, accountability, and experienced decision support but does not require a full-time consultant on site every day.
Flexible Consulting Options
Professional engagements can be structured to match the scope, urgency, and level of support required. Smaller advisory engagements can be structured at effective rates as low as $49 per hour, depending on scope and duration.
Hourly Advisory
For focused questions, document review, troubleshooting, or short operational consultations.
Weekly Engagements
For concentrated assignments requiring implementation, team training, follow-up, or hands-on project development.
Full-Day Consulting
For operational reviews, planning sessions, training, menu work, systems development, or project support.
Monthly Advisory
For ongoing fractional executive support, operational oversight, management coaching, and regular decision support.
Longer engagements can provide significantly better value, with effective rates as low as approximately $350 per consulting day, depending on scope, duration, and level of support.
Travel, lodging, transportation, supplies, materials, and other direct project expenses are additional when required. Larger projects and international assignments are quoted individually.
How an Engagement Works
- Initial Discussion
We review the operation, project, current challenges, priorities, and desired outcome. - Diagnostic Review
The operation is assessed to identify the real constraints, risks, performance gaps, and opportunities. - Priorities & Scope
The work is organized into clear priorities, responsibilities, deliverables, and measurable objectives. - Implementation Support
Systems, controls, training, standards, and project requirements are developed and put into practice with the team. - Measurement & Follow-Up
Results are reviewed, corrective actions are made where needed, and the operating system is strengthened for long-term performance.
